Bangalore. Bengaluru police on Wednesday filed a chargesheet against 17 accused, including Kannada actor Darshan Thoogudeepa, in the Renukaswami murder case. Bengaluru Police Commissioner B Dayanand told reporters here that a ‘strong’ chargesheet has been prepared after investigating all aspects. Police said the chargesheet includes statements of 231 witnesses and technical and electronic evidence. It also said that a comprehensive investigation was conducted in the case.
The police filed a 3991-page chargesheet (with seven volumes and 10 files) in the 24th Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate’s court. Dayanand said, “We have arrested 17 people in this case, who are currently in judicial custody. There are three direct eyewitnesses; 27 witnesses have given their statements before the court and other witnesses have recorded their statements before the police.” He said, “We had sent many materials related to the investigation to FSL (Forensic Science Laboratory) here and CFSL (Central Forensic Science Laboratory, Hyderabad). We have received their reports, but some reports from CFSL are yet to be received.” Dayanand said that the witnesses in the case include 56 police officers.
Police said in a statement that a chargesheet has been filed against 17 accused based on eyewitnesses, circumstantial, technical, scientific and other evidence collected by the investigators. The evidence collected has been submitted to the court under Section 173 (8) of the CrPC (Code of Criminal Procedure), which gives unlimited powers to the investigating agency to continue the investigation. Darshan and his friend Pavithra Gowda and 15 other accused in the case are lodged in various jails in the state.
According to police sources, 33-year-old Renukaswamy, a fan of the actor, had sent alleged objectionable messages to Pavithra Gowda, which infuriated Darshan and he allegedly killed her. Renukaswamy’s body was found near a drain near an apartment in Sumanahalli here on June 9.
One of the accused, Raghavendra, brought Renukaswamy to a place in RR Nagar here, saying that the actor wanted to meet her. It was here that she was allegedly tortured and killed. Police sources said accused number one Pavithra was the “main reason” for Renukaswamy’s murder. They claimed that the investigation has proved that she instigated the other accused, conspired with them and participated in the crime.